christopher price

Once lockout ends, a to-do list for Patriots

When the business of football resumes — presumably, sometime this coming week — it will kick start a series of events the likes of which the NFL has never seen. Teams will have to hit the ground running, getting used to the new rules and regulations while scrambling to find free agents and getting their own rookies signed in a handful of days. As for the Patriots, they’ll have their own priorities. Here’s a look at what they have to get done as soon as possible:

While the Patriots will have other questions when it comes to whether or not to re-sign their own players, these two figure to be their most interesting personnel decisions. When it comes to Light, going forward, the Patriots figure to have their two tackles of the future in first-round pick Nate Solder and Sebastian Vollmer, but if they believe Solder isn’t quite ready (remember, he hasn’t even seen the playbook, much less gotten used to the facility) to start or there’s a problem with depth at the position (Nick Kaczur remains a question mark), Light — for relatively short money — could be an answer. As for Faulk, the veteran has looked and sounded like a man who isn’t quite ready to call it a career this spring. If he does return, it will be interesting to see how the Patriots deploy Faulk, Danny Woodhead and rookie Shane Vereen, three running backs who have similar skills sets.

Get the rookies up to speed

Normally, rookies will have the entire spring season to prepare for life in the NFL, and as a result, with OTAs, meetings, time with coaches and in the weight room, they would be as ready as they could be once training camp began. Now, they will be thrown into the deep end of the pool and told to swim. As a result, it’s safe to say that there should be diminished expectations — at least early on — when it comes to this year’s first-year players.

“Oh, they’re going to be way behind,” said Logan Mankins of this year’s rookie class. “I remember when I was a rookie, I started Day One and I still felt like I didn’t know everything — and I was there the whole offseason, the whole training camp. Everything. So they’re going to be way behind, and I guess you’ll see the guys who can pick it up pretty fast.”

Evaluate the players who ended last season on injured reserve

The Patriots had several key players end the 2010 season on injured reserve, including Faulk, defensive lineman Ty Warren, defensive lineman Mike Wright and cornerback Leigh Bodden. After four months away from the facility, it will be important to find out exactly where they are in their rehab process. Faulk, Warren and Wright were all on the field for the players-only workouts at Boston College and looked as good as you can look going through workouts in shorts and a T-shirt. Meanwhile, Bodden (who was out all last season because of a shoulder injury) recently told the Boston Herald that he’s ready to get back to football — without he traditional red jersey that accompanies someone returning from injury.

“I’m ready for contact. No red jersey. I don’t plan on wearing that when I get there,” Bodden said. “I’m definitely ready. I’ve been working out. I feel great. I’m just ready to play.”

Get accustomed to the new rules

While the reinstituted salary cap will stand at approximately $120 million — the Patriots figured to have anywhere between $7 and $15 million to work with once free agency begins, based on whether or not they want to re-sign their own players — the biggest difference in the on-field product figures to be practice time. Under the new proposal, there would only be 14 padded practices during the regular season and one a week in the postseason, with no padded practice to exceed three hours in length. In addition, there will be no more two-a-days.

Coaches are going to have to alter their practice routine from past years as everyone adjusts to the new rules. While the system will undoubtedly provide fresher bodies as the year goes on, it could ultimately have an impact on the level of play, as padded practices can often provide the only real barometer of a team. In addition, one thing that could really change is the evaluation process for players who might be considered marginal. With no offseason and less time on the practice field for evaluation, the players who could be at the back end of the roster are going to have to maximize every opportunity they have if they want to impress the coaching staff.

Take advantage of the situation

The Patriots do have an edge on other teams coming out of the lockout — they have a level of continuity with their coaching staff and roster which should provide an advantage when it comes to picking up where they left off last season. While other teams will be undergoing a crash course with new GMs, coaches, assistants and quarterbacks, traditional powers like New England, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis that have had the same people in place at key positions means there won’t be any getting to know you time, which should give them an edge, at least through the early part of the season.

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